BED SCENES ARE THE BEST
But it’s not what you’re thinking, Kim’s Convenience’s star couple says
Kim’s Convenience
Returns Tuesday, CBC and CBC Gem
You’ve heard of singing for your supper, but the stars of Kim’s Convenience rearrange canned goods for their paycheque. Sure, they do some acting too, but Paul Sunhyung Lee says playing the owner of a convenience store calls for a particularly skilful manipulation of boxes, cans, packaged snacks and other goods. Think of it as prop culture.
“We seem to be the only show on TV where the characters actually work during the scenes. On every other show they’re in the background but no one is actually working,” says Lee, who plays patriarch Appa.
“It’s great to have that authenticity, but sometimes your brain melts from having to remember when you placed a can on the shelf, during which line, which way the label was facing and which breath you took when you did this or that.”
Jean Yoon, who plays his wife Umma, agrees.
“Can No. 5 goes on this, can No. 6 goes on that, then you forget.
“You mark it down as quickly as you can but props, to get them right, can be a bit of a brain teaser.”
The two are returning to play the parents in season 4 of Kim’s Convenience, which debuts Tuesday on CBC and the CBC Gem streaming service. Based on Ins Choi’s 2011 play of the same name, it centres on a Korean-canadian family who runs a small shop in downtown Toronto.
Thanks to Netflix, the series has built a global audience and this year won the most popular foreign drama trophy at the Seoul International Drama Awards. Here at home, it’s racked up seven Canadian Screen Awards, including two for Lee.
Given that they’ve made 39 episodes so far — and stocked countless shelves — it’s no wonder the onscreen couple’s favourite scenes to film are those where they’re doing absolutely nothing.
“We both agree the bed scenes are the best,” says Yoon.
“They’re always at the end of the day, Appa and Umma coming together usually with a reconciliation. But from a performer’s point of view, it’s so nice to just lie in bed while the camera’s moving around.”
Adds Lee: “You don’t have to stock shelves. You just have to remember where your head was on the pillow.”
Listening to Yoon and Lee speak — each finishing the other’s sentences, trading compliments and breaking into easy laughter — it’s clear their onscreen chemistry comes honestly.
“We’ve known each other for a long time,” explains Yoon. “I met him just after he finished college.”
“I had hair,” says Lee. “It’s like The Picture of Dorian Gray, except I age horribly and she looks exactly the same, which is fantastic.”
Kim’s Convenience is the rare series where the parents get roughly the same amount of airtime as the kids.
Andrea Bang plays aspiring photographer Janet, while Simu Liu plays formerly rebellious Jung, who now works at a car rental agency. Much of the comedy comes from the clash of Korean and Canadian cultures, heightened by Appa’s stubbornness and Umma’s relentless meddling.
This season, says Lee, the show will have a little something extra for fans.
“For those who are shipping Shannon (Nicole Power) and Jung, or Janet and Raj (Ishan Davé), you’re going to get some answers. You’ll finally get some closure to a lot of these storylines that have been going on for four seasons.”
“And Umma and Appa will fight, then make up, fight, then make up, fight, then make up,” says Yoon, before switching to the broken English used by her character.
“We marry so long, who knows?” “Too long time, sometimes,” piggybacks Lee, also in character. “But everything still OK because we still alive, very healthy.”
“What I going to do without him?” says Yoon.
Lee doesn’t miss a beat. “Ya, what I going to do without her?”
From a performer’s point of view, it’s so nice to just lie in bed while the camera’s moving around.